Karnataka High Court refuses to interfere with GBA’s safe footpath campaign

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The High Court of Karnataka on Friday declined to interfere with the Greater Bengaluru Authority’s (GBA) Safe Footpath Campaign, while observing that the initiative aims to ensure pedestrians have unobstructed space on footpaths.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K.S. Hemalekha made these observations while hearing a PIL petition filed by Bengaluru-based R. Rajgopalan, a former corporate board advisor and an environmentalist, raising multiple issues related to footpaths, including the welfare of street vendors.

Though the Bench ordered the issue of notice to the government on the petitioner’s plea for effective implementation of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, it declined his plea against the manner in which the Safe Footpath Campaign is being undertaken while pointing out that “the campaign is designed to ensure pedestrians have a space to walk on the footpath.”

Also, the Bench pointed out that the court itself, in earlier proceedings pending adjudication, had issued directions for clearing footpath encroachments.

Meanwhile, the Bench directed the government to submit a status report on the implementation of the Street Vendors Act while adjourning further hearing till December 3.

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